


Five Times Merlin Cockblocked Arthur Plus One Time He Didn't

by tehfanglyfish



Series: Five Times [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Canon Era, Deviates From Canon, First Time, First Time Blow Jobs, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, M/M, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Not Merthur Dubcon, Pining, The Author Regrets Nothing, mild dubcon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:55:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23420530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tehfanglyfish/pseuds/tehfanglyfish
Summary: Exactly what the title promises
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Five Times [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1338376
Comments: 44
Kudos: 664





	Five Times Merlin Cockblocked Arthur Plus One Time He Didn't

**Author's Note:**

> This is the plotbunny that broke through my writer's block and got me writing again so I could finish Glompfest. I will be forever grateful to it.
> 
> Gentle readers, I hope you are all well and safe. 
> 
> Friendly reminder that I don't own the Merlin franchise or these characters. Shocking, I know. No monies made for me.

1

“Arthur, I’m very proud of the dedication you’ve shown to your new duties as crown prince. You shall have a reward.”

All Arthur really wanted was praise and recognition from his father, but Uther insisted something more was warranted to mark the occasion.

The “reward” was waiting for Arthur in his chambers. A young woman was sitting on his bed, clad in a shift cut from sheer, thin fabric that left nothing to the imagination.

“Let me help you, sire,” she said, rising from the bed. “A prince shouldn’t have to undress himself.”

Before Arthur could protest, she had crossed the room and loosened the laces of his tunic.

“I appreciate your assistance, Lady…”

“Just Bryn, sire,” she replied, pulling the cloth over his head before he could stop her.

“But I have a manservant who helps with that.”

“Yes, but I imagine he leaves some jobs unfinished.”

“Well, that is true but… Ah!”

Bryn had moved on to his breeches, her fingers wandering places he’d rather they not.

Arthur jumped back, pulling her along in the process.

“It’s alright. The king said you might be hesitant, that you don’t have much experience with these matters. But after tonight is over, you’ll…”

“Sorry I’m late. I had to sneak your dinner away when the cook wasn’t looking because your father didn’t want me to bring it and… oh.”

“Merlin! It’s about time. Bryn, tonight has been lovely but I’m starving. For food. Here, take my cloak and see yourself out. I’ll make sure my father knows you earned your pay.”

He ushered her out of his chambers, trying his best not to slam the door behind her.

“You, Merlin, are a life saver. Help yourself to anything on the tray. I’d give you tomorrow off, but I’m scared my father will send her back.”

Merlin sat the tray on the table and retrieved Arthur’s tunic from the floor.

“Here, let’s get you dressed and you can tell me all about it.”

It was nice, Arthur decided as they sat at the table together, to have a friend to share a meal with. He really should find ways to have Merlin dine with him more often.

2

Arthur couldn’t keep his hands off of Princess Rowena.

It didn’t matter that her father was fiercely protective and had forbidden her from seeing him. Arthur didn’t care that sneaking off with her to an empty storeroom would likely lead to war.

Camelot could fall so long as he could have Rowena.

As soon as they were inside, she covered his mouth with her own, doing something so obscene with her tongue that he let out a moan. He wanted more. No. He _needed_ more.

A tiny voice in the back of his mind tried to warn him that this wasn’t right, that something was off. Never once had Arthur felt desire this powerful, especially not for a woman. It wasn’t natural and it didn’t have the same underlying warmth as his feelings for a certain special manservant.

He shoved those thoughts away and instead tried to figure out how the bindings of her gown worked. As he’d had no experience undressing ladies, it proved difficult.

“Never mind that,” she panted against his lips as she lifted her skirts.

Arthur somehow managed to get his trousers around his knees while keeping a tight hold on her.

The closet was tight and positioning their bodies proved difficult but they’d almost worked it out when bright sunlight streamed in on them.

Merlin stood in the doorway, a wooden staff in his hand.

“Great. You’re enchanted and there’s another possessed princess for me to deal with.”

What Merlin was on about, Arthur wasn’t sure. He tried to ask, but Merlin was saying something he couldn’t understand, almost like an unfamiliar language. As Arthur slumped to the floor, sleep claiming him, he thought he saw a golden glow fading from Merlin’s eyes.

Hours later, Arthur awoke in his bed. He had the strangest sense that he’d been about to do something that might have endangered the kingdom, but he couldn’t remember what.

“Don’t worry about it,” Merlin reassured him. “It was only a fever dream. Gaius treated you and you should be up and about by tomorrow. For now, go back to sleep. It will help you recover.”

“Will you sit with me until I do? That dream left me rattled. There was a princess and I was trying to… Doesn’t matter. Just stay. Please.”

“Always,” Merlin said, brushing the hair back from Arthur’s brow. “Now rest.”

3

Sir Gavin was beautiful, in a traditional sort of way.

He was tall and muscular, with deep hazel eyes. The ladies of Camelot clearly found him handsome, yelling out compliments from the stands of arena.

It didn’t hurt that he was also quite capable with a sword. Though Arthur was able to best him in the tournament, it had been a hard-won victory. Extending a hand, Arthur helped him from the ground.

“That was an impressive performance, your majesty. I wonder what else you’re capable of with that kind of stamina.”

Any confusion about Gavin’s intentions was quickly clarified by the look in his eyes and the wandering hand reaching for Arthur’s hip.

“Perhaps you’d like a private demonstration of my technique?”

If Merlin was here, he’d give Arthur a thousand kinds of hell for that line. Gavin, however, seemed receptive.

In late adolescence, before Merlin had arrived at Camelot, Arthur had often let a fantasy like this play out in his head at night, a handsome knight coming on to him, leading to a different sort of sparring match. Now, finally, it was actually happening.

Of course, Gavin wasn’t quite as angular as Arthur would have liked. His ears were too small, his eyes should have been blue, and his hair wasn’t dark enough. Plus Gavin’s smile was more of a leer, far different from the special grin that Arthur liked to pretend Merlin saved just for him.

But Gavin wanted Arthur and that would have to do.

“We should go somewhere more private,” Arthur said. His chambers would be too risky, but there was a part of the stables that wasn’t in use.

“Arthur! There you are. Let’s get back to your tent so I can help you out of your armor.”

“No need,” Arthur said. “You run along. There’s something I need to show Sir Gavin.”

Merlin’s face went red but he didn’t leave.

“Arthur,” he said, his eyes darting toward the spectator stands, “I really think you should come with me to your tent and let Sir Gavin go to his.”

It only took Arthur a second to understand what Merlin was trying to tell him. Uther had been watching his interaction with Gavin, jaw clenched and face unreadable, a clear sign that his father was enraged. Arthur would be relatively safe, but Gavin was another matter.

“Sir Gavin, I’m afraid there is an urgent matter that I must attend to at once. I hope you have a safe journey home.”

“You needn’t worry,” Merlin said softly as they walked to the tent. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Ha! You couldn’t keep a secret to save your life.”

“You’d be surprised.”

There was something in his tone that left Arthur wanting to ask just what it was Merlin had been hiding.

“Thank you,” Arthur said instead.

4

One of the best things about being king was that Arthur could do whatever he liked. More or less.

Obviously some things were a bad idea. Like having lavish feasts paid for out of the public treasury. Or losing his closest friend by confessing his heart.

But other things, like tossing out his father’s awful policies, could be done away with now that Arthur sat on the throne.

That was why the magic ban was being rescinded. Sorcerers were being welcomed back into Camelot society, with some reasonable restrictions. And Arthur was trying to make peace with the Druids, visiting their encampment for a reconciliation celebration.

The Druids, Arthur had to admit, knew how to throw one hell of a party. There had been lots of food, even more wine, plus music and dancing. Unlike the formal pageantry of court, this celebration was a more laid-back affair.

It felt good to simply relax after tense diplomacy.

“Are you sleeping alone tonight? Because you really shouldn’t be.”

Arthur didn’t know the man and, based on his lack of decorum, he didn’t know who Arthur was or maybe he didn’t care. That alone was intriguing.

“Does that mean you’re willing to keep me company?”

The man smiled and took him by the hand, leading him off to a remote campsite.

“No one will bother us here,” the man said.

He wasn’t Merlin. Not remotely. But he seemed nice and besides, Merlin wanting Arthur back was nothing more than a fantasy that could never be.

Maybe it was the wine or the years of longing for touch or just the night itself. Regardless, Arthur found himself kissing the man while trying to undress them both.

“Eager are we?”

“Is that a problem?”

“Not for me. But we should at least introduce ourselves. I’m Hywel.”

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Arthur.”

Hywel stepped back, eying him up and down.

“Arthur as in King Arthur?”

It was hard to know what to do. Arthur didn’t want to deceive the man, but he also wanted a night without title and status. His hesitation gave away the answer.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

“Is it because of my father? I swear I’m trying to…”

“Shh. It’s nothing like that,” Hywel said, putting a finger to Arthur’s lips. “But you belong to Emrys and I would never intrude.”

“Who is Emrys?”

“The most powerful sorcerer to walk the earth. He’s watched out for you over the years, keeping you safe.”

“Why?”

“Because you share a destiny. And he keeps your heart.”

Secret protector or not, this Emrys person could get stuffed. The only person Arthur wanted to keep his heart was Merlin. Still, it would be nice to know who this supposedly amazing sorcerer was.

“Is he in this camp?”

“Yes.”

“So who is he?”

“You’ll know when the time is right,” was the only response he got.

The next morning Arthur asked around, but no one would tell him.

“Do _you_ know who Emrys is?” he asked Merlin at breakfast. He never got an answer as Merlin began to choke on his food.

5

Finally.

Arthur was alone in his chambers, lying in bed. He’d waited a little while, just to make sure that Merlin wasn’t going to burst back through the door. But now it seemed safe enough to slip off his smallclothes and enjoy the sensation of his bare skin against the sheets.

He was hard and had been for days after the failed encounter with Hywel. Not that Hywel was who Arthur really wanted.

Was it wrong to think about Merlin as he touched himself? To imagine kissing Merlin as he’d kissed Hywel, to wonder what Merlin’s body would feel like against his own, to dream of Merlin’s hand gripping his arousal?

Arthur stopped worrying about ethics, his mind now preoccupied with other matters.

All he wanted was to give himself over to Merlin, let Merlin do as he liked. If that meant going on his knees, kneeling before the man he loved, letting those long fingers thread through his hair while he swallowed Merlin down…

He sped up, his pace no longer slow and lazy. He was so close.

“I have to tell you something, Arthur. It’s important and I should have told you years ago but…”

“Do you ever knock?”

Arthur wasn’t angry – just mortified – but his tone was overly harsh just the same.

“Oh. I. Um. I’ll be going.”

Merlin’s voice fell, so dejected that the only thing keeping Arthur from chasing after him was the fact that he was completely naked.

Damn it, Arthur thought as the door closed softly. He’d made a right mess of things.

Arthur fell back on the bed and tried to fall asleep, all arousal fading when he’d hurt Merlin’s feelings.

+1

The next morning Arthur awoke to the sound of soft tapping at his door.

Pulling on his discarded breeches from the day before, Arthur stumbled across the room to open it.

“Merlin. You knocked. You never knock.”

“Yes, well, after last night I thought it might be better if I did. I brought you breakfast.”

“Eat with me?”

“I don’t know. I need to…”

“Eat with me. And tell me about the important secret you’ve been keeping.”

Merlin eyed him warily but sat at the table. He picked at a sweet roll, not really eating it.

“Come on. Out with it.”

“The other night, at the Druid celebration, you were asking about someone named Emrys.”

The sausage Arthur was about to devour never made it to his mouth.

“You know him?”

“Yes.”

Arthur waited but no further information seemed to be forthcoming.

“The Druids say that he’s extremely powerful. Is that true?”

“It… it is.”

“They also say that I share a destiny with him. And that I’m fated to love him.”

Merlin’s hands shook as he tore bits off the sweet roll. Without thinking, Arthur took them in his own. Merlin’s fingers were warm and sticky. Briefly Arthur imagined licking the honey off of them.

“The Druids are good people,” Arthur continued, banishing that previous thought before it caused trouble, “and I’m glad that sorcerers now feel welcome in Camelot. But the Druids can piss right off if they think I’m going to bind my heart to some stranger. Here. You need to eat.”

Still holding to Merlin with one hand, Arthur lifted a bite of pastry from the plate and placed it against Merlin’s lips.

Merlin tremored but opened his mouth.

Gods those lips were gorgeous.

“The thing is, Merlin,” Arthur said, desperate to get his mind on another train of thought, “there is only one person I want to share my heart with and that’s you.”

His secret spilled out as soft lips closed around his fingers. Caught off guard, Arthur moaned.

Merlin swallowed hard and Arthur found it difficult to pull his eyes away from Merlin’s mouth, a few crumbs of sweet roll stuck to the skin. That wouldn’t do. As both of Arthur’s hands were presently occupied, the only way to deal with the crumbs was to kiss them away.

He covered Merlin’s honey-covered lips with his own, gently withdrawing his fingers.

Finally. After years of dreaming and fantasizing about it, he was kissing Merlin. The real thing was far better than anything he’d imagined. Merlin sighed into him, deepening the kiss into a messy, open-mouthed affair.

Arthur shifted, trying to get as close as their chairs would allow. The kiss grew more frantic as they clung to each other, the force causing him to slide off his chair.

It was just like his fantasy from the previous night – he was on his knees in front of Merlin. For the briefest of moments, Arthur wondered if he was dreaming. He leaned into the palm cupping his jaw. A thumb trailed along his lower lip, almost undoing him in the process.

No. Not yet, he decided. Not only would it be mortifying but this might never happen again and he would be damned if he was going to waste the opportunity.

“Is this alright?” he asked as he toyed with the laces to Merlin’s breeches.

“Yes. No. Wait.”

Merlin’s fingers gripped Arthur’s shoulder.

“I want to, but you need to know…”

“What is it?”

“The Druids… they have another name for me.”

Desperate to offer some comfort, Arthur kissed the inside of Merlin’s wrist.

“What do they call you?”

“Emrys.”

The word came out in a whisper so soft that Arthur could barely hear it. Merlin’s face paled and he refused to meet Arthur’s eyes.

“It’s alright.”

“Really?”

“Really,” Arthur said. “Yes, you kept a massive secret from me, and there’s a lot you need to tell me. Like how many times exactly you’ve kept me safe. But Merlin, it’s not as though I haven’t kept my own secrets. Besides, if you’re Emrys, then that means you’re the one who holds my heart. Which is all that I’ve ever wanted.”

Merlin inhaled sharply. Slowly, his thumb resumed its exploration of Arthur’s lip.

“Now, if you have no objections…”

Again he reached for Merlin’s laces.

“Please.”

His shaking fingers complicated the matter of loosening Merlin’s breeches. There was a bit of awkward fumbling but it didn’t take long for Arthur to accomplish the task at hand.

The sight of Merlin, fully erect - for him, because of him – was almost too much. Except what if he didn’t live up to Merlin’s expectations?

“I’ve never done this before,” Arthur confessed. “I don’t know if…”

“And I’ve never done this before with you. So we’re both new to it. There’s no pressure. If you’re not comfortable… oh!”

Arthur might not be the most skilled, but he had a good start judging by Merlin’s reaction.

Swallowing Merlin whole proved more difficult in reality than in Arthur’s fantasies, so he improvised, letting his fingers grasp the exposed base of Merlin’s cock. The soft whimpers in response inspired him to try something with his tongue that caused Merlin’s hips to immediately thrust up.

“Sorry,” Merlin panted. “That was just… do that again.”

He earned another appreciative thrust, this one more controlled than the last.

Arthur felt the pressure of Merlin’s palm on the back of his head, not too much, only enough to give encouragement. Not that Arthur needed it.

His own arousal was throbbing against his breeches but he didn’t care. All he wanted was to hear Merlin’s soft whimpers, to feel the tremors in his thighs, and the sensation of his fingers winding through Arthur’s hair.

He knew Merlin was close – he could taste it.

It was becoming more difficult for Merlin to hold still, his hips again bucking upward, breath ragged.

Arthur reached out for Merlin’s free hand, intertwining their fingers.

That gesture, so small and simple, pushed Merlin over the edge, gasping Arthur’s name through his climax.

As he stayed on his knees, Merlin’s release spilling in his mouth, Arthur couldn’t remember ever having been so aroused.

Then he was lifted from the floor with surprising strength, before those perfect, full lips found his own. Merlin was kissing him senseless while undoing his breeches. Arthur could still taste the honey from the sweet roll, mixing in with the taste of Merlin.

His legs buckled as warm fingers gripped him. It only took a few strokes and Arthur was done for, half-collapsing on Merlin as he came.

“Well,” Arthur said when he finally regained control of his breathing, “that was…”

“It was,” Merlin agreed.

Their eyes met and Arthur felt relieved to see that Merlin was also blushing. After a moment, they both burst into laughter.

Arthur stood and helped Merlin to his feet.

As Merlin adjusted his clothes, Arthur glanced around the room, his gaze falling on the parchment with the day’s agenda.

“It appears I have a council meeting. I suppose I should head out.”

“That would be the responsible thing to do. Although…”

“What?”

“You’re a mess. You can’t go out in public like that.”

He had a point – Arthur’s clothes were wrecked.

“Help me change?”

“I’d much rather help you bathe.”

Merlin laughed as Arthur tripped over his own feet.

“Your magic – can it conjure water?”

“Yes.”

“You fill the tub and I’ll send a guard to inform the council that the meeting is cancelled. And that the king likely won’t be leaving his chambers for the rest of the day.”


End file.
